It’s obviously not a great feeling for an MLB organization when it swings and misses on trying to land a free agent. That feeling is taken to the next level when the player ultimately joins a fierce rival.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, that was their reality earlier in the offseason.
Boston set its sights on Tommy Kahnle as it tried to revamp its bullpen, an area of weakness for the club in the 2022 season. Kahnle, as he confirmed in an interview with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, received a generous offer from the Red Sox, but the veteran right-hander turned it down and decided to return to the Yankees.
“I was really close to going to Boston but in the end, I made the choice of the familiarity of knowing all of the coaches and knowing what role I would have going into this situation,” Kahnle told Kirschner. “It just felt more comfortable to me because I have been playing Major League Baseball for 12 years now. I think seven or eight of those have been with the Yankees organization so I felt more comfortable going into a situation I know. It just felt right. One of my big goals in my career is to win a World Series and be a part of one. I left in a weird way and I want to come back and help this team and city get a World Series ring.”
Kahne’s reasons for latching back on with the Yankees are understandable, no doubt. But that surely won’t stop Red Sox fans from letting him hear it any time he pitches at Fenway Park.
